Settling the Score
by BlackDiamon
Summary: Vengeance is a sweet thing and it's the best motivation for any killer. In today's sociaty, even the innocent are no longer innocent ... ... Rated as such for a purpose...
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its other characters… they belong to Takahashi

Reference:  
"Talking"  
'_Thinking_'

**Settling the Score**

Chapter one

Today was a special day. It was as special as any day could possibly get. To celebrate the coming of spring, Tokyo high was fully decorated and filled with people ready to have some fun. There were some multi-cultural meals, concert and theater showings, and lots of little games for the younger audience. Everything was set to accommodate all three races: humans, demons and the mixed.

"This is so much fun!"

Four girls sat at one of the picnic tables. One was wearing an apron, another a very intricate layered kimono and the other two were dressed in some of the 1890's western outfits. Three of the girls gushed over each other and their accomplishments, complimenting their looks and agreeing on how great the food turned out this year.

"At least this time you didn't burn them Eri!"

Said girl simply huff in outrage. Sticking her nose in the air, she replied, "I'm a great cook! I just lost track of time, last year." Looking back at her two chit-chat companions, a smirk crossed her face. "And I was right about you two."

Yuka and Ayumi looked at Eri with innocent eyes. "What?"

"Yuka, you can't sing for nothing! And Ayumi, I'm sorry, but you suck at acting. See what a good idea it was to switch your roles this year? Isn't that right Kagome?"

The fourth member of their group was completely lost to them. As usual, her mind was off to some distant land. That's how she's been for the last three years, ever since that episode that took her family's lives.

"Kagome?" Eri waved her hand in front of the said girl's face. Frowning at her failure to get her friend's attention, she resulted to more drastic measures. She tipped her bottle of water to rinse her hand.

Kagome felt something moist hit her face in tiny prickles. "Wha— Hey!" She looked at her friends who were trying to hide their giggles, while Eri was drying her hand on her apron.

Eri snapped her fingers at Kagome's face. "Come on girl! You keep zoning out on us."

Blushing, Kagome averted her eyes. "Sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind." Looking back up at her friends, they were expecting her to continue. Kagome stared back, non-pulsed. Three teens narrowed their eyes at her. Kagome blinked innocently. "I meant with spring celebration and all." Diverting her eyes once again, she continued. "I've been so busy with school and this play that I haven't had time to just sit and relax a minute."

The girls seem to like her explanation and decided to let the subject drop, preferring to comment their well done performances again. Kagome smiled for good measures and whenever necessary, but once more, her thoughts drifted to an existence beyond her teenage life.

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**xXxXx

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**

Yellow tape marked the territory off limits, police men keeping guard at the frontiers. The grand house, now a restricted area, belonged to one of Japan's great mafia lords. Musou was found, in his office by a very much traumatized maid, all in a tangled heap of flesh. His entire bureau was in a mess, suggesting some sort of struggle, and the whole place was smudged with blood.

"Repulsive…"

Dark violet eyes scanned the scene, taking as much as he could in one well sweep.

"Oh my God!" A female voice caught his attention. "These assassinations are getting worst. Who could do something so inhuman?" Brown questioning eyes met calm pools of violet.

"My dear Sango, consider yourself lucky they removed the body before you got here." Miroku took one last glance at the inside, before turning away. He hooked his arm in his partner's and dragged her along. "Your eyes shouldn't need to see such awful things." Taking a calming breath, he continued down his path. "Come on. Let us do what we do best." Turning to her, he motioned towards the awaiting ambulance. "You question the maid. I'll look into the body."

Sango narrowed her eyes at him. "Miroku…" she drawled out his name for good measures. "You're not sticking me with the easy job again."

Both arms raised in self defense, Miroku's calm demeanor never failed. "Trust me, dear Sango. I've seen the body and it's no real treat. Even the ones carrying it away had trouble keeping their evening meal down."

Sighing in defeat, the young officer relented. Sango waked away without another word, grumbling under her breath about stupid men and their weak stomachs. Miroku watch her walk away with a raised eyebrow, admiring his partner's derriere. Fully distracted from his work, he stared, mesmerized by his new, though six weeks old, partner. She was a good seven years younger than him, but she was a force not to be reckoned with.

Her entire family, dating back to centuries ago, consisted of demon exterminators up until her grand-father. He'd decided with the new laws and the three races getting mingled in together and accepted among each other, than demon exterminators were no longer necessary. He thought of becoming a teacher in the art of fighting and so has opened his own dojo. Sango's father kept the new tradition and now her brother was a proud co-owner and heir to Tokyo's best dojo: the Sasaki Clan Dojo was in full bloom.

Sango, however, decided she preferred doing what her ancestors did before. Thus, she chose to become a law enforcer. The girl was strong, accurate, agile with all sorts of weapons and very beautiful. A deadly combination if you asked Miroku.

"Kinomoto, sir!"

Miroku blinked his distraction away. He looked back towards the mansion. Someone from the investigation team was calling him. '_Enough with the sidetrack. You've got work to do Kinomoto._' Miroku chided himself. He was here to do his work, not get amusing images that include a certain partner. Shaking his head and sighing in defeat as well, he marched right back into the house. They had to find out who was behind the mafia killing spree. As much as it was a great help to get rid of them, Miroku was an officer of the law: his job is to find the people responsible for the murders and put them away for everyone else's safety, even if it meant protecting the lives of other criminals.

* * *

**xXxXx

* * *

**

"This isn't good. This is _definitely_ not good."

A tall slim man marched back and forth, his long wavy hair tied in a high pony tail. Three sets of eyes followed his move as he paced around in his office.

"Would you just fucking sit down, Naraku!" Bankotsu, the only human among the four individuals finally spoke up. "You're getting on my nerves." He was the shortest among them, his own long ebony hair tied in a tight braid all the way down his back. Sharp eyes stared at the slightly nervous half-demon who at last came to a stop.

Naraku narrowed his eyes at the human's insolence, but complied anyway. All that walking wasn't helping in any case.

"What do you suggest we do?" Hiten, a thunder demon, casually asked. He was called in for this meeting and wasn't particularly happy about it either. He had places to be and girls to snatch: his brother was in need of another batch of hair remedy. He couldn't exactly do that when stuck in an office, hundreds of floors above ground level where the girls happen to be.

"It has to be stopped or we'll be next." Gatenmaru, a moth demon, voice his own opinion. "I'm not exactly looking forward to being killed." He nonchalantly commented, looking bored as hell by the meeting.

Naraku carefully watched the three remaining mafia lords. They were all weak and all under his supervision. From his view, they all looked cocky and not to worried about being the next target, confident they wouldn't be brought down by some idiot assassin even though they voiced their concern without noticing it.

'_They're all a bunch of fools…_' Naraku mentally shook his head and rolled his eyes. He needed an insider on the scene, before, after and, if luck would have it, during the incident.

"Do you all have someone you trust?" Naraku finally spoke. "Someone you would willingly leave your life in their hands?"

Gatenmaru raised an eyebrow, Bankotsu narrowed his and Hiten snorted, a smirk obvious on his handsome face. "And why is that any of your concern? What does that have to do with any of this?" the thunder demon questioned.

Naraku let a smile grace his own features. "Two heads work better than one." Eyeing the curious faces, he went on. "Should one of you be attacked, this _individual_ whom you trust most needs to be with you at all time. This way you'll all have a much better chance of putting a stop to this ridiculous game." He was hoping they would just go along with it, but thought better of his statement. "Not that you need the extra protection. You are all fine opponents on your own. This is more of a precaution type of idea." He finished as an after thought.

The three lords looked at each other. If the others have failed, than any course of action would be better than none. Individually, they voiced their agreement and left the meeting room. They were to report back with information about who the _insider_ will be. Naraku watched them all go, somehow knowing they would all be unsuccessful. It didn't matter, though. Should they fail, he had a backup plan of his own.

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**A.N.**

Something new… to get things straight, this is a world were demons, humans and half-breeds live in _harmony_, or as much harmony as they can…

Anyway, I have this idea that's been swimming around in my head for a while now, and I've finally decided to put it down on paper (or screen in this case…) So tell me what you think so far. I hope I pleased!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its other characters… they belong to Takahashi

Reference:  
"Talking"  
'_Thinking_'

**Settling the Score**

Chapter Two

A week has passed since the last assassination and the investigators where not any closer to solving the mystery. It caught the public's attention after the first mob leader was found dead. Now, four mutilated leaders later, it was all the country talked about. The first two cause a local uproar, but the third got the entire nation of Japan involved. Kyoto wasn't exactly close to Tokyo per say. To add to that, unfortunate number three was on the brink of death in his country side home north of Kyoto the same night unlucky number two was found skinned and several hours dead in his cozy loft, downtown Tokyo.

This case was mind boggling and Miroku has only been at it for close to two weeks. Folders littered his desk, his usually tidy hair was in a mess and he's barely had any sleep. The lab results came back with nothing of value: every single spec of blood found in Musou's office belonged to the dead guy. There was no unknown fingerprint found: anything found belonged to either the landlord or his maids and servants. They were all held back for questioning and most of their alibis are true. As for the others that didn't check, they were too simple minded and frightened out of their wits to come up with something like that.

Miroku released a sigh. Leaning back in his chair, he raised his hands to rub his face. He was tired as hell and his mind couldn't process any more information. He was in need of a break, otherwise he might crack.

"Miroku?" A soft feminine voice broke through his foggy mind. He lifted his head and was greeted by a smiling Sango. "Are you busy?"

Momentary lost, Miroku simply stared. Sango titled her head, a worried frown marring her beautiful features. Miroku shook his head, clearing his thought. "No, no. Please come in." He greeted her with a weary smile. Sango raised an eyebrow at the mess on his desk. Eying it himself, he shrugged a little. "Forgive the mess." Looking back at his partner, he asked, "Is there something you needed?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah." A smirk replaced her frown. "How about getting my cohort back!" Miroku stared innocently causing Sango to giggle a little. One hand on her hip, she held up the other, her thump pointing toward the door, and kept her smile on her face. "Come on. We're busting out of here!"

Miroku raised his eyebrows in surprise, not too positive he heard her correctly. "Pardon me?"

"Come on, Miroku." Sango picked up a rather motherly tone, now both hands on her waist. "We've been at this for a whole week straight! Nothing pinpoints to the murderer." Miroku looked down at the papers on his desk. "Did you ever stop to think maybe it's one of the other crime lords behind this? They know each other better than anyone else." Sango tilted her head, trying to catch his eyes. "Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer. Let them kill each other and who ever is left standing will be our main suspect."

Miroku frowned. It did make sense at the present time. They knew none capable of killing another without leaving any trace. No one but the mafia themselves would be able to pull off something of the sorts. Taking a deep breath, Miroku finally looked up. "Fine. We'll try it your way. There is only three left after all."

"Three that we know of! Who knows if there isn't a bigger man behind them, or more that we don't know about."

Miroku frowned again.

"Don't worry," Sango reassured. "You're just too spent to come up with anything logical." Turning away, she sauntered over to the door. "Now are you coming or not! I'm starving and I won't wait forever after you."

Miroku took the threat to heart. Quickly getting up, he grabbed his keys and followed after his partner.

* * *

**xXxXx

* * *

**

Everything was quiet within the house and everyone had gone to sleep hours ago.

In the basement of his private residence, Hiten was still awake trying to get a hair growth potion just right. Two young women were caged in a corner of the room, whimpering in fear for their lives. Hiten pay them no mind. He was too busy concentrating on the base formula for demon hair re-growth. His brother Manten's birthday celebration was set for tomorrow evening and he wanted his present to be special. He was so close to finding a remedy for his brother's hair loss, he could almost see it. The joyful look on his younger sibling's face was just beyond his reach. Now if only he could get the right potion!

"A teaspoon of this… A dash of that…" A puff of smoke rose in the air. Hiten analyzed the scent and the look of it carefully. "Hmm…" He tipped it left, then right, then left again. He raised the test tube to the light and examined it once more, tilting it left and right over again.

There was only one last ingredient left to add.

The palest of the girls couldn't take it anymore. She started hyperventilating, rocking herself back and forth on the sole of her feet. Being caged up like this and in the hands of a madman demon… it was seriously getting to her.

Hiten stared at the girls, a smirk set in place. The smell of their fear permeated the small lab and it was getting his blood boiling. He loved a good sport, but he didn't have time for such things.

He approached them. "Last sample came from you." He stared at the petit form of a teenage girl. "That means it's your turn this time." He turned to face the lady which was hyperventilating. He reached for some keys, but froze in his spot. "What the—!"

"You won't be taking anymore samples tonight."

A low ghostly whisper filled the room, producing more terror than Hiten ever thought one could invoke out of living beings. He tried to move, he even tried to speak and yell. His body, however, was unresponsive, completely ignorant of its user's will

The two women watched with horror filled eyes. Someone was there with them, but they couldn't see him. There was little light, but there was also little space available for one to hide, let alone the fact that the door was closed and locked the entire time. A bright pinkish light surrounded their capturer, an ethereal glow filling the small confines. The locks on the cage snapped under an unknown pressure and the barred door flung open.

"Leave."

It was an order, straight out flat, with no room for arguments. The girls didn't bother either. Taking their chance, they fled the scene as quickly as their legs could carry them.

"It's only you and me, now."

The humor was obvious in the intruder's voice and it chilled Hiten right down to the core. If he thought Naraku was bad, this person sounded down right mentally unstable.

"Answer my question, and I just might let you live."

Hiten scowled at his invisible attacker. '_How the hell am I supposed to answer if I can't even talk?_'

"Speak now, who was behind the terror attack three years ago?"

Hiten growled in response, but immediately stopped, shocked at the sound of his voice. So he _can_ talk. He narrowed his eyes for good measures. "Who's asking?"

"Wrong answer…"

Hiten never knew what hit him. A beaded necklace fell over his head. Pure pain erupted in his mind, taking control of his body. He stared at nothing and everything, wide-eyed shock and dread evident upon the young demon's handsome face.

Dark eyes watched from the ventilation system above as Hiten lost his sanity to the visions behind his mind's eyes. The figure silently gazed at the next mafia lord as he tore himself apart. It lasted several hours, but eventually the deed was done. A prayer was sent for the now dead demon, wishing him a peaceful sleep deprived of the monsters in his head. Turning away from the scene, the lone figure went looking for the way out of this little hell-hole.

It was dark outside, and everyone was sound asleep. A soft, yet sad voice filled the quiet of the early dawn, alerting all who were listening to the night's event.

_Unfortunate number five.

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_

**xXxXx  
xXxXx

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**

**A.N.**

Here's chapter two! I was in the mood to write and like I mentioned last time… This idea has been swimming around in my head for a while. So what do you think so far? I do appreciate the feedback and thanks to all who've taken the time to read.

I'll catch you all next time!

-


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its other characters… they belong to Takahashi

Reference:  
"Talking"  
'_Thinking_'

**Settling the Score**  
Chapter Three

* * *

Night's passed too slow and days wheezed by too fast for Sesshoumaru, heir and co-owner of Hashi Tech Corp.. Business meetings came and went, propositions were made and papers got signed. Yet none of it registered properly in his pre-occupied head.

He was worried. Not for himself for he had nothing to fear. He was concerned about his name and his company. With him being an ex-mafia Lord, and still active in some places, as well as having an ex-con as a co-owner of the corporation… Let's just say he was more than worried.

The news of another dead Lord, though minor as he was, unsettled him. If it wasn't for the two no longer missing women who reported to the cops, no-one would have found the fool with his skin peeled off and the rest of him sizzled to the core. The count has reached five and he doubted it would stop there. What unnerved him more than anything was how each and every one of them died in the same manner they would kill their own prey.

The vibration of his cell phone distracted his thoughts. Recognizing the number, he flipped the phone and answered.

"What do you want?"

The voice on the other end of the line was cold as usual. "Sesshoumaru, I'm sure you realize the latest attack has brought the assassin one step closer to the both of us." The voice never wavered one.

"Unlike you, Naraku, I have nothing to fear."

The Mafia Lord chuckled. "Whether you like it or not, you are related in all this as well." Sesshoumaru had nothing to say, and so, Naraku continued. "I have reasons to believe this person is looking for the one responsible for the mass murder three years ago."

Sesshoumaru did not understand what his point was. "I had nothing to do with that."

"No, you didn't." Naraku crooned. "However, I know someone related to you that did."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "He had nothing to do with that."

"I beg to differ." And so he hung up.

'_Just perfect._' Thought Sesshoumaru. Now he had even more to worry about.

* * *

**xXxXx

* * *

**

Exhausted. That's how Kagome felt every single morning. Her nights were never long enough and her days were too long for her liking. If only she had an extra hour or two each night, she just might be able to catch-up on her sleep.

Her math teacher droned on and on about x and y, and abc. Kagome, however, couldn't register anything at all. She was lost to her own world again, this morning's news playing in her head from time to time. Another Lord was taken down, and she knew everyone was one step closer to sniffing out the people responsible for the massacre on the sacred grounds of her family shrine. She, along with everyone else would finally figure out who were the ones behind the murder of her family members.

How she missed them so…

"Kagome."

Yuka was calling. Class had apparently ended and like usual Kagome was staring into space.

"Come on girl," Eri pulled on her sleeve, breaking her out of her trance. "We're starving here."

Kagome looked up at them, still semi-lost. Ayumi offered an encouraging smile. "You know I wouldn't change you for the world, Kags. However, a bit of food in your stomach might be just the thing you need. So get that look off your face and let's go!"

Kagome smiled as well. She loved her friends for this exact same reason. They were the ones who stuck to her. They were the ones who still believed in her.

They were her friends, and she was grateful.

* * *

**xXxXx

* * *

**

"Good morning Inuyasha." A pretty blond with too much cleavage greeted the newcomer.

"Hm…" A white haired young man replied back.

Leaning over the desk some, the pretty blond offered her best pretty smile. "Mr. Hashi is waiting for you in his office."

"Whatever." Inuyasha completely ignored her, a frown marring his face. Didn't she realize she wasn't his type?

He swiftly walked by his elder brother's secretary and straight into his office. Sesshoumaru had called him early in the morning, disturbing his morning ritual with… with… What was her name again? Inuyasha frowned. He always did have a bad memory when it came down to the women he slept with.

Walking through the double doors, Inuyasha didn't wait to be told before closing the heavy, thick and partially metal-made wooden doors. Turning around, he stared with narrowed eyes at Sesshoumaru's back, silently burning holes through the back of his brother's head for ruining what could have been a wonderful morning.

Inuyasha didn't last a whole of ten seconds before his impatience got the best of him.

"You gonna talk or are you gonna stare out that fucking window all day?"

"You really should watch you language, Inuyasha."

"Just get to the point."

Sesshoumaru stayed quiet for a while longer. He really loved the view from his office. His high-rise was the tallest in Tokyo and it was located at the center of town. From the tallest point, he could watch the whole of Tokyo. His office view, however, it was located in such a way that he could see the sun rise and set. Now, if only Inuyasha took the time to admire such sights… A light taping from someone's foot reminded him of his company.

Sesshoumaru turned and eyed his younger brother. Giving him half the company's ownership was a big risk, but it was something their father wanted. Sesshoumaru was not one to dishonor his family. Inuyasha on the other hand…

"I'm still waiting." Both Inuyasha's eyebrows rose as he stated his impatience in a sing-song voice.

Turning away from his younger brother, Sesshoumaru finally spoke. "How would you like to go for a long vacation in Europe, or maybe in America?"

Inuyasha wasn't one to be fooled that easily. Narrowing his eyes, a smirk covered his beautiful face. "What's wrong, Sesshoumaru. Already regretting giving me my half of things? Already trying to get rid of me?"

"Don't be foolish." Sesshoumaru kept his gaze on the busy street of East Tokyo. "I simply want you out of my hair until these assassinations come to an end." Inuyasha raised a skeptical brow. "I have reason to believe this assassin might come after you and—"

Inuyasha growled, cutting him off. "I ain't afraid of no fucking killer!" He felt as if his pride got hit by a major blow and from his own brother no-less. "Besides," he took a stand, crossing his arm with is nose up in the air, "Unlike you, I never was and never will be a Mafia Lord." Turning back to his brother, Inuyasha pressed on. "They are the ones being targeted. Not me."

Sesshoumaru remained indifferent to the sudden outburst. "My sources say this individual is looking for the ones responsible for the Terror Attack on the Higurashi Shrine."

Inuyasha's hackles rose. "You know I wasn't responsible for that." Then his eyes narrowed. "Or do you doubt me in that too."

"You might not have been the responsible one behind it, but you were somehow related." Turning once more to face his brother, Sesshoumaru went on. "This person is killing everyone who stands in his way and anyone who was involved in some manner or another." Still keeping his cool, he approached his younger brother. "We have nothing to fear, but our father's empire is another story. If you have any respect what-so-ever for your old man, you _will_ leave this country until things calm down."

The younger of the two Hashi brothers had no intentions of backing down. Stubbornness set in his feature, Inuyasha walked up to his brother. "I did nothing wrong and have wasted over two years of my life for that. I ain't about to run and hide now." With that said, Inuyasha walked out, never once looking back.

Sesshoumaru exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. He had hoped Inuyasha wouldn't have fought him with his decision. '_Then again_...' he thought to himself, if his brother would have simply accepted this option, Sesshoumaru would have thought Inuyasha to be sick.

He turned back to his window and let the peaceful sight wash over him.

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**A.N.**

Here's another chap. I only got a total of two reviews for my first two chaps. I would, however, appreciate much more before the next update. I want to know what you think. This is just the beginning, so don't turn away yet.

Thank you to:_  
Fanfic_**  
crazed inuyashafan girl: **Sorry for the late update. I wasn't in town and also very disappointed at getting only two reviews. Your questions will be answered though. Stay tuned and find out.

_MediaMiner_**  
********InuyahasChic**

C-ya next time… Ja!

**********-**

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	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its other characters… they belong to Takahashi

Reference:  
"Talking"  
'_Thinking_'

**Settling the Score**  
Chapter four

-

"_Maybe you should go to Europe_ he says… _Or maybe to America_… Maybe you shut up and let me live my life!"

A white haired young demon grumbled all the way down the street to his parked bike.

"Stupid Sesshoumaru…"

Inuyasha had had enough of people telling him what to do, what to wear or where to go. He was no longer the little push-over kid that got the blame for something he wasn't responsible for. Those two years spent in prison did plenty for his demon nature. He's become stronger, more confident and he'd become one stubborn bastard. He had sworn worst than a black sailor at the prison guard who delivered the news that he was being let out on parole. Apparently they had new leads on who the actual responsible was for the terror attack on a family shrine a few years back.

At that point he was the happiest he could be. He's been a free man walking for several months now, yet that happiness didn't last as long for he still felt the chains that were attached to his hands and feet drag him down along the way.

He reached his _baby_, grabbed his helmet and settled on his bike. A police car pulled up behind me. Inuyasha frowned. Were they after him again for the latest attack? He was seriously getting tired of this. He's shown his disapproval last time. Did they want another dose?

Used to it by now, he unsaddled and turned to face the approaching cop. He stared in silence and waited for the other to begin.

"Sir, if you could kindly let us escort you to the main office; we have a few questions we'd like to ask."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Of course they did. They would ask the same questions, he'd give the same answers and he had no-one to confirm his alibi, keeping him a main suspect in the murders. It didn't matter what he said, though. All the cops were waiting for was his confession.

Not bothering to waste his breath, he just nodded and straddled his bike once more. He put his helmet on and didn't wait for the officers to show him the way.

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**xXxXx

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**

He didn't know why he kept doing this. It was truly pointless, a pure misuse of precious time. Miroku sat patiently waiting for their _suspect_ to show up. Someone had mentioned Inuyasha Hashi during a meeting. Considering he was the only one who managed to walk out of a conversation with the tempered target without getting hurt, he was named responsible to _drag_ the truth out of the young man.

Miroku leaned back on his chair, pushed the palms of his hands to his eyes, passed his fingers through his hair and settled back with his hands interlinked at the back of his head. If last time was anything to go by, this was going to be another dangerous interrogation session he was definitely not looking forward to.

From previous experience, Miroku had learned enough about Inuyasha to guesstimate just what the young hanyo was capable of. He had certainly proven he could fight and certainly kill if the need be. Nonetheless, he has never shown any kind of magic behind his movements. Whoever this assassin is, they had all come to the conclusion that this person knows how to use some kind of sorcery. So where did the boy fit in all this, he could not figure out.

The officer was brought out of his thoughts as the door to the interrogation room opened. In stepped his target for today. Eyes locked, Miroku raised his eyebrows and held a lazy smile as to alleviate the situation, to bring out the humor in the repeated scene. The hanyo simply rolled his eyes while holding his very bored, yet annoyed expression.

Inuyasha did not bother to take a seat, nor was he offered one. He just stood by the door and sighed. "I don't know him, I was at home at the time and I was alone."

It was Miroku's turn to roll his eyes. He sat up straighter, wrote down the boy's answers and gathered his papers. Hoping to end this quick and painlessly, Miroku stood and bowed once in respect. "Mr. Hashi, I thank you for your patience. Have a nice day—"

"Cut the bullshit, Miroku." Inuyasha growled low. "How long are you guys gonna keep running after me!"

"Inuyasha…" In all honesty, Miroku didn't know what to answer. "I…" He thought for a moment longer. By him, he had a huge hunch this guy was innocent, but it was a theory and theories weren't facts. "You are our main suspect here." He tried to reason. "It was only after your release that the killing started happening. Everyone's got it in their heads that you're out on a revenge spree and after the one who put you in jail." Miroku could clearly see that the hanyo was not impressed at all, but he did show a bit of acknowledgement. "Look," he tried to reason again. "This is protocol. So just cooperate for now, do _not_ give a lied confession just to stop these interrogations and we will get to the bottom of this. Alright?"

Inuyasha still did not look convinced. He narrowed his eyes as anger gradually took over logic. Were they seriously expecting him to crack and _confess_? A low menacing growl escaped his lips, but he somehow managed to hold himself back. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't going to bite their bait. Facing the door, Inuyasha took a forced gulp of air and stormed out of the place.

Miroku closed his eyes and release a breath he didn't remember he was holding. The last time Inuyasha was here, he'd made a mess of the place and had to be retained a couple of nights till his brother, Sesshoumaru Hashi, came to bail him out. It was quite a scene and Miroku had never been more frightened for his life. It was a relief that the young man decided not to rip the place apart this time around.

Miroku shook his head at the humor behind it. Inuyasha was strong spirited and had too much energy waiting to be used. He just hoped the nineteen year old didn't do anything stupid in a careless rage.

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She was late again. Her teacher just had to hold her back for another late assignment. Why did they do this to her, she could not understand. Yes, it had been years since the incident, but Kagome was constantly reminded with the social worker that was presently waiting for her back at the shrine.

Once a week, some lady comes by to make sure she's not wasting away both her life and her monthly paycheck. She would take an agonizing long time to reprimand her for being late, and then she would go into a rant about how to keep up with today's times, make sure she remembers all the emergency numbers with all the necessary names. The women would check her fridge, freezer and cabinets to insure Kagome got herself real food. She would give her a medical check-up once a month and a complete one twice a year.

She was almost there. She just had to cross the street and run another two blocks. She reached the corner and didn't bother to check for traffic. It was usually quiet at these times. This time was different though. Kagome stopped part way, her eyes widening and her heart no longer beating. The only sound echoing in her head was the screeching of tires on cement desperately trying to stop before it's too late. The impact never came as the motorcycle stopped just short of hitting her.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!"

Kagome was snapped out of her stupor. A rather handsome man with striking golden eyes stood before her inspecting her for any harm while all she did was stare. He looked familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. The man's voice increased in volume, finally breaking through to her.

"Hey!" It was obvious he was not in a good mood and she wasn't helping either. "Hey! You still in there?"

Kagome shook her head. "Yes! Yes." She took a shaky breath and stepped back as though the space would help her get her bearings again. "Geeze, I'm so sorry." She blurted out, looking at everything but him. "I wasn't looking and I—"

A slight beeping noise interrupted her. Attached to her bag, a pager was buzzing and vibrating. Forgetting she had an audience, she verified the number. Kagome's eyes widened again as the flashing digits reminded her why she was running across the street in the first place.

"Just perfect!" she cried out. Ignoring the man that almost ran her over and not hearing his rude comment about crazy bitches, Kagome made a mad dash for home. She wasn't just late anymore, she was _behind schedule_. She was definitely getting reprimanded for this.

'_Oh joy…_' she thought. She just couldn't wait.

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**

A woman in her early thirties stood by the main entrance. Her black hair was held in a tight bun with two chopsticks holding them in place. Her piercing brown eyes held fatigue in them. However, if looks could kill, the young lady before her would have been six feet under the moment she walked through the main door.

"You are three hours late, young miss." A rich feminine sound escaped her refined lips as she admonished the teenager. "You should have been home at least an hour before I got here. That would have been… approximately two hours ago! What must I say or do to get this through to you? You are a young women, an easy target, a miko in training, _and_ living on your own. You need to be on time and alert. Don't make me regret not putting you into an adoption agency."

"Spare me!" Kagome just couldn't take it anymore. "I'm not a child and I'm not a charity case. I don't need your help!"

"Don't you raise your voice at me girl." The social worker, Miss Yokuhana, scolded. "You are my responsibility. I'm the one who listened to you cry late at night because you had another nightmare; I'm the one who's helped you through these past few years; I'm the one who told the center you weren't a hopeless case that needs a guardian." The woman was mad and looked just about ready to give up. "I can't count the number of times I've got calls from your teachers complaining about your attitude in class or about the fact that you are late in every one of your assignments." Miss Yokuhana sighed. She was tired of this. They always got into some kind of discussion. There could not be one visit where she would come in to see a smiling Kagome who has done everything as she was supposed to. The social worker rubbed her temples as she felt another headache coming along. "Where were you?"

Kagome held her head down, her face marred by anger. "At school."

"Why?"

"Sensei Haro wanted to talk to me."

"He called me to warn you might be late." Miss Yokuhana tilted her head as though to see her ward's eyes. "I know how long it takes to get home from your school." Kagome kept her head lowered. "Either you were sidetracked or you walked extremely slow just to piss me off again." Raising her head, Miss Yokuhana continued. "Now, will you tell me which it was? Or will I have to start playing the guessing game?"

"I got held up at school." Silence followed Kagome's answer. Keeping her face down, she looked up with her eyes. Miss Yokuhana was expecting more. Kagome rolled her eyes and looked fully away. "My locker wouldn't open." She continued in annoyance. "Then I almost got ran over for rushing home." She looked back at the social worker, stubbornness written all over her face. "Happy now?"

Miss Yokuhana knew Kagome well enough to know when to stop before things got out of hand. Nodding once, she watched as the young girl grabbed her backpack and ran up the stairs, go straight to her room and slam the door shut.

"Well," thought. "That was interesting."

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**A.N.**

Here is the fourth chapter. I am sorry for the long wait. I'm just happy I didn't stop writing considering the amount of difficulty I'm going through at this point in my life. Next chap will be up I-don't-know-when considering my broody state at this point.

I'll make this brief. Thank you to – Your reviews mean a lot to me  
**MM org: priestessmykala, IC, coykoi, little savage, weepinwillowz **and** rainydaze  
FF net: foxcat**

Please review my story. It just might help boost up my depressed moral state… Thanks.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its other characters… they belong to Takahashi

Reference:  
"Talking"  
"_Screaming_"  
'_Thinking_'

**Settling the Score**  
Chapter five

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Inuyasha stood by the stairs, staring up at the entrance of the last place he thought he would come back to. The shrine entrance stood out newer than his memories remembered. The stairwell no longer looked cracked and used by time. Instead they were well made. Obviously, the owner had to have the whole place rebuilt after the incident.

He had followed his nose after the girl he almost ran over. His pride was hurt from her quick dismissal of his presence. He didn't know what to tell her, but he knew she couldn't just almost get herself killed and the next minute act as if nothing had happened. Besides, everyone knew who he was. They all looked at him with shame and disgust. All except for that girl and thus his curiosity was picked. She looked like she was… mesmerized by something.

He didn't expect her to come here of all places. He thought for sure she'd come running down the stairs after a quick prayer and probably break her neck as she falls the rest of the way. Inuyasha had waited as patiently as he could for the last hour, but his patience was running thin.

'_Where the hell is she?_' He knew the shrine didn't have anything big or special to keep people captivated for over an hour. '_What the hell could she be doing?_' Growling in annoyance, he made up his mind. He was going after her. He just hoped the barrier around the shrine would let him through.

Inuyasha hadn't even taken one step up when the voice of a woman interrupted his musing.

"Oh my! Look what the cat brought in." A woman with black hair held in a bun and cold brown eyes gazed down at him from the shrine entrance.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he recognized her immediately. "Kikyo." '_What is _she_ doing here?_'

Kikyo made her disapproval shown as she walked down the stairs. "That's Miss Yokuhana to you." Reaching ground level, she fully inspected the boy, or should she say young man. "You've certainly grown since I last saw you." The _boy_ was now well built and much, much taller than she was. He looked more self confident and his eyes held such strong emotions. The calm teen she knew no longer existed. He's been replace by a man that has lived through a hard long life. Can jail time truly do that to one? Kikyo actually felt a little bit of pity for him.

It must have shown on her face, for Inuyasha growled threateningly low and bared his fangs at her. "Don't look at me like that. What do you want?"

Blinking away her emotions, Kikyo took a more serious face. "I should be asking you the same question." Looking at the shrine entrance she continued. "I thought this was the last place you would come to, considering this is the same place that locked you up." She looked back at him, making sure she got her point across.

"Keh." Diverting his eyes, Inuyasha as well gazed up at the entrance. "I'm looking for someone," he said. "Not that it's any of your business." He finished, narrowing his eyes at her.

"The shrine is closed for the time being." She answered back. "Nobody else is here beside the owner." Kikyo started walking away, having nothing more to say. Stopping a short distance away, she thought she might give him an advice. "Inuyasha," she called for his attention. "I suggest you stay away from here." She continued on her way as she last spoke. "We definitely wouldn't want you to be the assassin's next target."

Inuyasha watched her walk away. What was _that_ supposed to mean? Was that a threat? Shaking his head in dismissal, he figured he had too much excitement for one day. He glanced one last time at the shrine opening. Maybe walking up those stairs wasn't such a good idea. He already had enough trouble with the cops as it was. He didn't want to give them a good reason to come chasing after him again.

Inuyasha turned his back on his past once again and walked away.

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Kagome's alarm rang nice and loud on her beside table. It was seven in the morning and time to get up. Mornings were the hardest for her. She was always tired from her nightly duties that shared her study time. She wasn't only a teenager going to school and coming back home. She was a homeowner, a shrine keeper and a shrine priestess. It was her duty to make sure the barrier surrounding the holy ground remained up and strong. It was her duty to keep the shrine grounds purified of all forms of evil. She only had time to do that at night when she had the piece of mind she needed. The safekeeping of the territory would drain her so much that she would some time wake up at early dawn, lying down on the grass by the sacred tree.

Kagome got herself ready and headed downstairs. She made scrambled eggs, fixed her lunch and was out the door by a quarter to eight.

"Kagome!"

It was Yuka. Kagome waited for her three friends to catch up with her. "Hi." It was the same every morning. They would walk to school, Kagome lost to her own world as her friends would talk about the cutes boys and the latest fashion. This time, however, Kagome's musing was interrupted. She stopped walking as a strange feeling wrapped around her. Ayumi noticed this and turned around. A gasp escaped her lips as she saw seven heavily armed men standing right behind her frightened friend. One of them had a gun pointed directly at the back of Kagome's head. Yuka and Eri also stood motionless, holding on to each other in fear of their lives.

"Which one of you is Higurashi?" The man with the long braid asked the question.

Ayumi took a step towards Kagome as to reassure her, but fright had her take two steps back. The rest of the group came forward, surrounding the girls and blocking all possible exits. Kagome's three friends huddled together and didn't say one word.

The braided man obviously didn't have patience. He unlocked the safety from his gun and pointed it once again at Kagome's head. "I'll ask this one last time. Which one of you is Higurashi?"

Her whole body shaking, Kagome brought her hands up in the surrender style and turned to face her assailant. The man smirked as he kept the gun pointed at her head.

"Hm. And he thinks _you're_ the assassin." The man chuckled at the humor he found in the situation. This girl was too frightened to do anything. Where the hell did Naraku get the idea that she was the one behind the attacks?

"_Bankotsu," Naraku called out. "I have a job for you."_

_Bankotsu listened carefully. He didn't like to do anyone's dirty jobs, but he enjoyed killing so much he never complained. Naraku always gave him very delightful jobs as well, so he hardly ever refused._

"_I have reasons to believe the survivor of the Higurashi family is the one assassinating our comrades." After Naraku's words, Bankotsu sat up straighter. If Naraku's found the one behind the killings, then he would gladly take the job. "The child, Kagome, is the only one with enough motivation to do such a thing and she's the only one with an incredible amount of spiritual power to perform any type of ritual and not get caught."_

_That didn't sound so good to Bankotsu's ears. "So how the hell do you expect me to kill her?"_

_Naraku smiled. "She only comes out at night. Such a sweet innocent and pure girl would not give herself away during the day, or in the view of the public eye." Naraku waited until Bankotsu caught his drift. "Every morning, she walked to school with her friends. Catch her off guard then and get rid of all evidence."_

_Bankotsu smiled. It would be his pleasure to kill the annoyance off._

The man shook his head, dispelling the memory. It didn't matter weather she was the one they were looking for or not. The simple fact of watching someone die was enough motivation. Smirking, he reached for the trigger and swiftly pulled it back.

Kagome closed her horror wide eyes and felt something collide with her entire being. However, she felt no pain. She opened her eyes to see the gun still pointed at her face, mere inches away, and she also saw the bullet, destined for her head, floating just millimeters away. In her fright she managed to put up a strong barrier preventing bullets from passing through.

"Shit!"

Bankotsu wasn't a happy camper. This was supposed to be quick and easy. Of course Naraku had to omit the fact that she wouldn't mind putting up a barrier in plain day light. Throwing the gun aside, Bankotsu reached for his sword. A barrier can only be kept for a limited amount of time, especially since she didn't seem to have an anchor anywhere. The man grinned again and signaled for the others to do the same. They understood and drew their own weapons.

A crowd had gathered around, men and women screaming for someone to help, someone of demon blood hopefully. No one dared advance upon the seven men to save three frightened girls and one terror stricken priestess.

Upon Bankotsu signal, all seven men attacked as one. Without realizing it, Kagome had made a barricade big enough to keep her friends safe as well. The three girls huddled closer to Kagome as the barrier visibly shrunk. The attacks were relentless and nobody was willing to help. Even the police that showed up didn't dare advance.

Kagome was obviously loosing strength after each assault. She couldn't keep this up for much longer. Momentarily, she remembered her friends were still here with her. Not taking her eyes off the bullet, Kagome called out. "Eri…"

"What?" the girl in question managed to call out.

"When I tell you to," Kagome began, "I need you to grab the others and run as fast as you can." Kagome was panting from exhaustion, but she had to be strong. She was too weak to save her family before. Now, however, she would not give up that easily. She was stronger and she would prove it. She will save her friends!

Eri didn't quite understand, but nodded anyway. She grabbed Yuka and Ayumi by their arms and got them into a ready position. Kagome somehow managed to split her barrier in two; one surrounding herself and the other around her comrades.

"GO!"

Eri didn't hesitate a minute. She got into a sprint, dragging her two friends with her. They managed to get away from the fight, cross and street and reach the safety of the watching crowed. Ignoring the bombardment of questions, Eri stared at her last friend wobbling in place as her strength was slowly giving way.

'_Kagome!_' She saw the transparent barricade burst into thousands of sparkling lights and slowly disappear into the air. She saw the other six men jump back as the one in charge took a ready stance and brought his sword down for a clean sweep. Eri's eyes widened as she screamed. "_KAGOME_!"

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She didn't know what was going on anymore. A minute ago, she knew she had to get her friends away from her. She'd managed to do just that. She split her spiritual wall into two, one half protecting her while the other half made sure her friends reached the safety of …of… she wasn't sure what.

Now, however, she was tired, so very tired she could hardly stand. She had put her full concentration on keeping her own barrier up, but she'd forgotten why it was there in the first place. She was too scared to remove it and her fear blinded her to her outside world. She wouldn't last very long if she kept going like this, though.

Kagome felt her legs weaken. They will fail her sooner or later, but that wasn't the more pressing issue. Her spiritual energy was ending. She couldn't do much without that. Something kept pounding in her head as well. She just wanted it all to stop. She couldn't take it anymore.

Closing her eyes, Kagome let go of her anchor. She felt her barrier break and disappear. The pounding was replaced by many screaming voices, though she could care less. She felt her entire body give up, her own physical strength failing her. Black spots covered her mind as the blissful oblivion of unconsciousness took over her.

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"Fucking traffic…"

Inuyasha was late for another meeting with his brother. Apparently he had an interesting job offer for him. He refused at first. He didn't want any desk jobs and he certainly didn't want the responsibility of an entire company on his shoulder. Then Sesshoumaru said it had something to do with the recent assassinations. That had picked his interest, but his brother refused to go into details on the phone. So unless he shows up before eight o'clock in the morning, he would never find out what the job offer is in the first place.

"Stupid drivers…"

It was five to eight and he was stuck behind a load of cars that refused to move. He sensed some strong energy coming from straight ahead, but brushed it off as a couple of demons arguing about the car jam.

Thirty seconds later, Inuyasha's patience ran out. Narrowing his eyes, he calculated the space between the cars. If he was careful enough, and nobody opens their doors, he just might be able to reach the end of this block and find another way to the office. Or he could just simplify his life and pass by the sidewalk. With a quick turn to the right, Inuyasha made his way around the pedestrians and sped down to the next intersection.

He didn't go far as police officers had blocked the intersection off. One of them was flagging him, urging him to stop. Inuyasha halted as asked, but he completely ignored the yelling man as his eyes caught the reason why the road was blocked in the first place.

'_It's that girl,_' he thought. The one he almost ran over, the one that lives at the Higurashi Shrine. Inuyasha got there just in time to see three girls, surrounded by something, dash away from the fight scene. The other girl, however, was obviously struggling to stay on her feet. The seven men around her kept beating down hard with their weapons on the barrier keeping the girl safe, but from the looks of it, it wasn't going to last very long.

Everyone gasp and many started to scream. The officer that had flagged him down started to run forward, but just like his comrades, he was obligated to stand back. One of the seven attackers had created a ring of fire around their group. They were untouchable unless someone felt like burning their skin off.

Inuyasha's own eyes widen in surprise as many sparkles of light danced in the air until they were no more. The barrier was down. Six of the seven men jumped back. The seventh guy prepared his sword for a clean sweep.

He didn't know what got into him. The next thing he knew, Inuyasha had the unconscious girl in his arms and they were at a rather safe distance away, leaving the enemy in their own ring of fire.

"_What the fuck?_"

Inuyasha finally looked up to see he was back by his bike and safely behind the police barricade. The leader of the pack looked ready to kill just about anything.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Bankotsu shouted. "She's my pray!"

"Keh," was all Inuyasha had to say. His smirk said everything else.

Bankotsu clearly wasn't happy. A crowd surrounded the fallen girl and her savior, and the police had their weapons aimed straight at them. This job was supposed to be clean, quick and easy. This was going to be anything but that if he engaged in a fight. Bankotsu narrowed his eyes at the intruder. The white hair brought some kind of recognition, but Bankotsu couldn't quite put a finger on it. Although humans and demons coexisted, white hair was only for a specific kind of race and a dangerous breed they were too.

Standing straight, Bankotsu put his sword away. "This is far from over." With that said, the smallest of them released a gas in the air, blinding everyone to their escape.

Inuyasha covered the girl's nose and mouth as his own face was protected by his head gear, but didn't relax until the air was clear enough to see through.

"Well, well, well." A familiar voice called from behind. "You're the last person I thought would come to the rescue."

"Miroku." Inuyasha turned around to see the smug look on the officer's face. Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, he carried the comatose bundle in his arms only to pass her on to the irritating cop. "Don't think I'll be making a habit out of this."

"Actually…" Miroku wasn't sure if Sesshoumaru's plan was such a good idea. He had received a call from the delinquent's older brother just yesterday suggesting maybe he could be of use in their search for the mob-murderer. Miroku however didn't really anticipate working with the boy. Swallowing his insecurities about the subject, he thought asking wouldn't hurt. "You know, you would make quite a good cop." The officer was positive the kid was shooting daggers through his helmet. Taking a step back, Miroku released an uneasy laugh. "It was just a suggestion."

"Keh." Inuyasha was in no mood for this. He was late beyond imagination now. Mounting his bike, he disregarded the people's praise for his job well done and sped his way out of the area. He didn't deserve the people's applause. He remembered all too well what had happened at the shrine. He might not have been at fault, but he didn't do anything to stop it either when he could have done the opposite.

'_I'm no better than a con… I don't deserve to be a hero._'

With that in thought, Inuyasha just hoped Sesshoumaru would still tell him what the job offer is. He was only going to be half an hour late anyway…

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**A.N.**

Well, sorry for the long wait. Here is chapter 5, much longer than the others. I usually write five pages (on MSWord), but this one turned out to be over seven! I know how short chapters are annoying and I've had plenty of comments say they were too short. So this is for those loyal readers!

Thank you to the following feedbacks:  
**MM Org**: blackmist, Anime Lady PIMP (good to know you're still with me), inuyashafanaticllmv and bettychan (thanks for the great review!).  
**FF Net**: foxcat (yes, well, I seem to have a better feedback on mediaminer… oh well. You're choice whichever you prefer!)

Thank you again for reading. Do send feedback. I need feedback! Ja!

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	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or its other characters… they belong to Takahashi

Reference:  
"Talking"  
'_Thinking_'

**Settling the Score**  
Chapter six  


* * *

When Kagome finally came to, she found herself in her bedroom. The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes and just wanting to sleep. It was dark in her room. She didn't know what time it was. 

'_I must have worked myself to exhaustion…_'

"You're awake."

Kagome looked up to her doorway. Ms. Yokuhana was leaning by the frame looking somewhat worried yet relieved. Kagome didn't answer back, not sure if the woman was a figment of her tired mind or in fact her guardian checking up on her wellbeing.

Kikyo closed her eyes and sighed. "Good," was all she said. '_Thank goodness you survived that spiritual burst._' Looking back at the energy drained girl, Kikyo made sure she got her message across. "I want you to just sleep for tonight. Don't worry about the shrine chores: I've had someone come in and take care of them. The barrier is still up and strong, so no need to worry about that either." Kagome listened on, her eyes semi-closed. "Also," Kikyo finished, "don't do anything foolish tonight."

Kagome wasn't sure who she was talking to at that point. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and go to the wonderful world of sleep. Why would she do anything if she doesn't even remember what she did in the first place to be this tired?

Kikyo noticed the look of confusion on the girl's face, but quickly dismissed it knowing her advice would not be followed. Annoyed by that thought, Kikyo turned around to leave. "I'll lock the door on my way out." She called back. "Good night."

Kagome didn't bother to answer back. She simply snuggled deeper into her sheets and let her mind drift.

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Kikyo wasn't sure if leaving her alone for the night was such a good idea. The girl seemed dead tired. Hopefully she drained her spiritual powers enough to not do anything idiotic tonight. Kikyo shook her head. She needed a break herself. Keeping an eye out and training such a stubborn girl wasn't exactly what she had applied for and would not have worried so much if it were anyone else. Kagome's case, however, was special. 

The women reached her car and took one last glance at the shrine. '_Please don't do anything stupid, Spirit. Kagome is not up to such challenges yet._' Kikyo opened her car door, stepped in and drove off.

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"Damnit… We almost had her!" Bankotsu paced his living room in annoyance. If that white-haired demon hadn't interfered, the task would have been done and over with. 

"You need to find your peace, Bankotsu." Renkotsu, the fire-bearer of the seven, tried to calm their leader down. "If my assumption is correct," he went on, "then the one behind the assassins will be coming after us next."

Bankotsu stopped dead in his tracks and the others dropped what they were doing as well.

Renkotsu took in everyone's glares as calmly as ever. He needed to get the others to understand his reasoning behind his conclusion. "If this girl truly is the one behind the attacks, then she's had a pretty good look at us. She will probably try to get rid of us since we almost exposed her to the public eye, let alone tried to kill her." Renkotsu went on, locking his eyes with their leader. "And if it wasn't her, then the assassin knows to come after us next since we almost killed an innocent in pursuit of him."

Bankotsu understood now. Sometime soon, they will be attacked, therefore they should be prepared. A grin settled itself on his handsome face. "Well boys," he turned to his fellow members. "We better get this place cleaned up. We'll be having a visitor soon!" Bankotsu glanced at his sword hanging neatly on his wall. He forgot about his little miss in the morning, his entire body impatient for a good fight. He simply couldn't wait to present the bloody murder's head on a silver platter to Naraku.

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It took her a while to find them, but it didn't matter to her. She felt no fatigue, no hunger, no thirst. She made her way across the park, unseen like a creature of the night. Alleyways and back roads were not unfamiliar to her as she made her way through the city. 

Her destination was located at the edge of the city. It was a beautiful house with big iron gates and lots of lights shining in every direction. '_Why aren't I surprises,_' she bitterly thought. These bastards: they were all the same.

She viewed the place, analyzing her ways of entry. She went around once and noticed the east wing was the least lighted. A smirk appeared on her delicate face. She removed her backpack and took out her rope and hook. With silent agility, she climbed the wall. Tying the rope in place, she slid down the stone fence and landed on soft lushes grass. She stuck close to the wall and scanned the landscape before her.

She frowned in confusion. There was something fishy about the situation. This entire section was dark, all outside lights turned off. She took one step back towards the wall, her rope and her means of escape. Her eyes scanned the area, her brain going a mile a minute. A noise to her left, she turned just in time to see three spinning objects heading straight for her head. She ducked in time and felt pieces of her rope innocently fall on her. Wide eyed, she looked up at her escape path. Three round saw blades were poking out of the stoned barricade, effectively cutting off her way out.

She barely had time to think when smoke took over her surrounding. She had to close her eyes against the burning toxic fumes. Acting on impulse, she pulled the scarf around her neck up to cover her nose and mouth. Her eyes still closed, she crouched on the ground and reached for her hidden weapon. She pulled a small throwing knife out and held her breath. She wasn't going down without a fight.

'_I can't breathe…_' None of her victims retaliated in such a way. Then again, none of them knew she was coming for them. She tried to stay as low as she could, considering the smoke was being carried upward instead of staying down. She couldn't see anything and couldn't hold her breath for long. Deciding to take a risk, she set off in a crawl. She had to get away from all the smoke or she'd never have a fighting chance.

She managed to steer clear, but was far too affected by the toxic gas to think properly. Through her ragged breathing she heard footsteps and eager laughter. That spiked her anger and hatred for these people to a higher level. Still crouched down low, she didn't dare open her eyes. At this point they weren't very useful: they were filled with unshed tears due to the toxin's effect. The walking stopped and she knew she was surrounded. The laughter, however, didn't stop at all. One voice was so terribly high pitched and annoying that she simply lost momentary control of her temper.

Before anyone had a chance to move, she had already made her move. She gracefully sprang forward, made a quick u-turn and let the blade fly. The laughter stopped and a heavy object connected with her back. She ineloquently fell, the body no longer able to support such abuse.

"Bitch." One of the attackers kicked her in the stomach. "We'll make sure you suffer a lot before we kill you."

She heard the words but did not reply. She had no time to waste: she needed to work her magic and get her body back into gear. She calmed both her mind and her soul, and started her healing process.

* * *

**xXxXx**

* * *

Outside was dark, quite and he was bored as hell. He couldn't sleep with his mind too full of what Sesshoumaru had told him. '_Me? A secret agent?_' Inuyasha snorted as the thought passed through his mind for the umpteenth time. 

His older brother had suggested he co-work with the police and help them find the 'assassin'. Inuyasha had grown mature and he seemed to enjoy getting into fights. 'O_r what was it Sesshoumaru used? _Confronting _people was-it?_' Inuyasha chuckled, finding the idea of him working with the same people that wanted him back in prison a very funny thing.

Yet he couldn't help but wonder. That Miroku guy had more-or-less suggested the same thing, though he seemed more hesitant. Sesshoumaru did say he knew someone willing to help him ease into the police force without too much hassle from the future co-workers.

Inuyasha sat up in bed, too tire to toss and turn all night. Becoming an undercover cop wasn't the only issue on his mind. There was also that girl that was attacked in the morning, that same girl he almost ran over. He knew her face was familiar, but he never gave much thought to it till late afternoon. He had seen her face in the newspaper during his first week in jail. He remembered how every waking moment of his life spent away in that small cell, all he really wanted to do was watch the girl suffer a very painful death. He was never fully explained what happened or why they were putting the blame on him. All he knew was that it was her fault: Kagome Higurashi, the only survivor of the Higurashi clan.

Inuyasha shook his head. Three months in and he had received a gift: a notebook and a pen. She had sent a message as well, claiming she didn't think him guilty of the crime that was committed. She mentioned the book and pen were for his thoughts, and she also wished he would share them with her once he was free.

He thought it was a joke, one god-awful hoax. He had tore the pages apart, broke the pen in as many pieces as he could. He'd wind up with blisters on his hands and ink all over himself. He didn't stop until security came in, bound his hand and dragged him to solitary confinement. He had calmed after a couple of days in the dark room. He may be half demon, but he was still just a teen back then.

Inuyasha looked out his window. It was dark. The town was asleep. Making up his mind, he dressed up in a pair of sweats and walked out his door.

* * *

**xXxXx**

* * *

Voices. She heard distant voices, people speaking and laughing, obviously having a good time. They were either far, in another room or she was still a little out of it. She was tired, but that was the price she had to pay for healing her body. Bringing her senses back into play, she realized she was in a chair. Her arms and legs were bound, but that didn't bother her one bit. 

Now fully conscious and in control of her physic again, she wasted no time in assessing the situation. She opened her eyes and came face to face with a handsomely silly grin.

"Hey there."

She only blinked and sat up a little straighter.

"You're a smart one." He said, still smirking. "You had everyone fooled out there. For a while I thought I was after the wrong person."

This time, she smirked as well. To a certain degree it was amusing so she felt the need to play along. This was after all the first time she got caught. "You did go after the wrong person." She went on. "Little Kagome isn't the one behind the attacks. Pure coincidence that we look-a-like is all." The man before her frowned in confusion. "I am Moriko. It's a pleasure to meet you." She acted as innocently as possible. She even slightly bent her head in respect.

Bankotsu didn't find this pleasing at all. He stood straight, as though in dismissal, with his grin back in place. He turned to walk away, but his pride got in the way. Without warning, he spun around, the back of his hand eager to come into contact with some skin. It got exactly what it wanted, but it wasn't what Bankotsu had expected.

_Moriko_ had blocked his hand with her arm and sucker punched him right in his eye. Bankotsu fell backward, surprise written all over his face. The girl was standing as though nothing had happened. His eyes flew to her wrist. Both wrist smeared with blood, a clear red mark showed where the ropes had dug into her skin. He looked down to her ankles. The same thing must have happened: there were smears of something liquidish all around her pant legs, near her feet.

The others had gathered around her, all of them not so sure what to think. They hadn't even seen it coming. Bankotsu got up, mad as hell now. "You'll be sorry for that." First she had the audacity to kill one of his members, and now this! He held a calculating gaze as he nodded his head once.

Moriko kept her watch steady on the leader while the balky one made his move. Metal strings went around her, effectively cutting off any movements she had planned. Moriko, however, still looked as unaffected as ever. Her mind was clear and patiently waiting for the answer she's been searching for.

The bald one moved in next. Flames ran up the wires, but they were automatically blown out before reaching an inch of her body. A pink glow surrounded her and the rope around her broke into tiny pieces, all harmlessly flying in random directions. She was free to move again. Moriko ignored the others' surprise and concentrated on the leader of the pack.

"I'll ask you one question. Answer me in satisfaction and I will leave in peace, spearing the rest of your clan as well."

Bankotsu narrowed his eyes. This girl's spiritual energy had to be above average. Naraku must not know that if he thought she might be an easy kill. Standing up straight, a smirk back on his face, Bankotsu figure he could play along for a while. "So," he started. "What do you want to know?"

Moriko smiled in satisfaction. Perhaps this group wasn't as idiotic as they looked. "Tell me who was responsible for the attack on the Higurashi Shrine."

Bankotsu's eyebrows shot up in surprise. _That_'s what she's going around killing people for? "That's a very simple question with a very simple answer." He took in the girl's content look with amusement. "But what makes you say I'll tell you anything?"

Moriko's smile faded to be replaced by indifference. That wasn't the answer she was looking for. What was she to do now? She was clearly outnumbered with six to one and she still didn't have an answer to her riddle. She dropped her eyes to the floor, making her look small and fragile. Bankotsu looked a little perplexed. Was this for real? Was she already giving up? He narrowed his eyes as the girl lifted her head and locked eyes with him.

"That wasn't the answer I was looking for."

Her voice held nothing for emotion, but it managed to chill Bankotsu to the core. He didn't like that at all. One glance at Suikotsu told his comrade he had permission to attack. Claws at the ready, Suikotsu didn't waste a second. Charging head first, he had a clear view of his target's neck and heart. It would be a piece of cake and very bloody, to his pure joy.

Moriko barely had a second to reach inside her left sleeve to pull out a beaded necklace. The purple beads shone bright enough to blind everyone, thus giving her the time she needed to retreat. She chanted a few words and advanced upon her attacker. Moriko threw the necklace around Suikotsu's neck and withdrew as quickly as she could. Suikotsu was faster though, having more experience in hand to hand than she ever did.

A scream permeated the air as the light faded into a dim purple glow. Bankotsu watched the scene unfold in horror-shock. Moriko stood back as calmly as ever. Her right sleeve was torn off and three large gashed covered her lower arm. Yet she looked unaffected. Her eyes were closed as if in a peaceful sleep and her hands were held together as though in prayer.

His gang member however was the real attraction of the night. Suikotsu's clothes were shredded in so many placed and deep gashes bled so freely. The other members backed away, fear of what was going on obvious in their face. Suikotsu's screams turned into chocked gurgles. Before their very own eyes, Bankotsu and the others watched as their comrade's throat was slowly being ripped apart in the same manner Suikotsu would do his prey. Another gash was being created in his chest as the man's heart was being torn out by some invisible force.

It took but a few agonizing seconds, but it was finally over. Suikotsu fell first to his knees, his now lifeless eyes remaining open, though still displaying the pain and fear he felt as he was slowly dying. The body fell forward, hiding the tattered throat, the bleeding heart and the frightened eyes.

Bankotsu finally looked up to their opponent. How did she…? How _could _she do something like that? What the hell was she anyways? She just couldn't be the same girl he'd attacked in the morning. That girl looked like the definition of purity, but this one… She held no innocence in her eyes.

It looked like pain didn't bother at all. The cut on her arm had somehow stopped bleeding. But the look in her eyes… She had opened them to view the sight before her, the repulsive mess she had created. She held no disgust, no fear and no joy at what she saw. No, Moriko looked more sad and regretful, her eyes seeming to bed the corps for pardon. The wound in her arm was ignored and she seemed to not feel the pain.

She took a step back and turned towards Bankotsu. She hated this more than anything, but it was necessary. Her eyes held tears as she eyed the leader. Would he attack her now in vengeance of his fallen friend? They were seven to begin with and now they were down to five. She hadn't seen the first one go down. She had acted on impulse and didn't think much of it. She looked at the corps once again. This was the first time she has seen her opponent die. In every other case, she was hidden somewhere, thus she could not see them; only hear their agony as they killed themselves.

Moriko could no longer hold back her tears. She hated this. If only they would just tell her what she needed to know! Anger filled her as she quickly bowed in respect. "Forgive me!" With that said, she ran. Bankotsu and the others were too traumatized to even think about following her. For that, Moriko thanked whomever was her guardian angel watching over her.

She made it back to her escape root without any hassle. Picking her back up from where she left it, she gathered enough spiritual energy to make the necessary jump. The rope was cut short and she needed to jump a good five feet before reaching the remaining end. She thanked to Gods for giving her a quiet night to work with. She was halfway home when here arm started to sting. Looking down, she realized for the first time that she was hurt. That explained why her healing powers were gathered in her arm back at the mansion.

'W_hatever,_' she thought. '_I have to get back to the shrine or this body might give any minute now._' The fact that she could feel the pain in her arm was alarming enough. If she didn't make it to the shrine before she passes out again, who knew what would happen to them in the streets.

Moriko reached the park when her vision started to faze. "Shit! Not now!!" She was almost there. She just had to make it past this park and down another three blocks. She couldn't keep her eyes open for very long and she had slowed down to a jog. Her arm was in pure pain and her legs burned with fatigue. '_I won't make it,_' she thought as her vision blurred to an uncontrollable state. Not being able to control the body anymore, Moriko was thrown out of her hostess' body. She watched as her borrowed body fell forward and into the arms of another. Her eyes widened in dread as she recognized the face. '_Oh, no! Not him!_' Gathering whatever strength she had left, she reached out for the body, desperately trying to get control of it once more.

A bright pink barrier surrounded the couple, preventing Moriko from reaching her goal. She was thrown back with such force that Moriko herself didn't know what hit her. She sat up and helplessly watched as the man gathered the body in his arms and walked away. Her energy completely spent, she could no longer maintain her spiritual form. Moriko closed her eyes and disappeared without a trace.

* * *

**xXxXx  
xXxXx**

* * *

**A.N.**

Aye! Mamamia! I've got so much going on in my life that I didn't even have time to complete this chapter. I started this damn chapter over two, yes TWO, months ago… oi…  
Well here it is and since I've got some kind of inspiration back, hopefully the next update will NOT be in two months… Do review: that does help.

Until next time…. **_Thanks to all the readers and reviewers._** Ja!

Btw, Moriko means forest child.

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